


I'm in trouble

by LozzieObsessed



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-29
Updated: 2014-09-16
Packaged: 2017-12-30 20:44:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 12,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1023178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LozzieObsessed/pseuds/LozzieObsessed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kataang fluff (with a bit of Zutara on the side at some point). Following the group throughout their journey, testing Aang and Katara's reactions to each other as they grow older. There will be more fluff as the story progresses, so bear with me!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm in trouble

First part of (hopefully, depending on feedback) Kataang fluff. Following the group throughout their journey, testing Aang and Katara’s reactions to each other as they grow older.  
There will be more fluff as the story progresses, so bear with me!  
Sadly, I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or its characters. Love it if I did, though.   
-Ellie  
p.s. feel free to leave comments and reviews!  
Aang: 12  
Katara: 14  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
The night buzzed with the chirping of crickets and the humming of bees. Katara kneeled in from of the fire, gently stirring the broth in front of her. Naturally, Sokka was closest to the food.   
“And in three, two, one…” Katara thought.  
Sokka suddenly looked up. “Wait, Katara – where’s the meat?!” he said with utter disbelief.   
There was no way she could do this to him. Meat was the love of his life – it had always been there for him when he needed comfort. He would not sit there idly whilst he was denied his one and only joy!  
“You’d better be about to add some, or so help me-” he growled.  
Katara interrupted his empty threat. “I thought, considering he is now part of our little group, we should be open-minded towards Aang’s beliefs. Unfortunately for you, that means no meat for the time being”, she said with an evil little grin.  
Sokka glared at his sister. Fine. She wouldn’t put meat in his meals? Then he wouldn’t be having any.  
“I’ll find my own meat and cook it then”, he huffed. With a melodramatic flourish, Sokka twirled around and stalked off towards the woods.  
Katara chuckled to herself. It was always fun winding her brother up; he had the best reactions. Mother had always said he was the drama queen of the family.  
Lured out of his tent by the smell of cooking and the sound of Katara’s laugh, Aang emerged from his tent.  
“What’s so funny?” he asked. Despite having travelled with the siblings for two months now, Aang had scarcely heard Katara laugh. It was a lovely sound, immediately bringing a smile to his face.   
Katara raised her ocean blue eyes to Aang’s striking grey ones and simply answered, “Oh, just Sokka.”  
Aang couldn’t speak. Mesmerised by the fire that danced in the waterbender’s eyes, he was once again struck by her beauty. How did she manage it? Every time, he was rendered completely speechless with just one look. He really had to get a grip.  
Aang shook himself out of his daze. “Where’s he gone?”  
Katara nodded in the direction of the trees. “He’s in there trying to find some prey to satisfy his need for protein.”  
Aang laughed at this, and Katara raised an eyebrow. Apparently she wasn’t joking.  
“I know he’s not vegetarian, but is our food really that bad?”  
“Believe me, I’ve been asking him the same thing. He’s just so stubborn.”  
“Huh.” Aang sat down next to the fire. “Well anyway, thanks for sacrificing your own meat for me. You really didn’t need to.”  
Katara smiled at him. “No problem. To be honest, I’ve always wanted to try vegetarianism, but it’s not exactly easy to find plants and vegetables in the South Pole.”  
Her smile was infectious.  
Agni, this is unfair. I’ve only known her a short while, but it’s so obvious that she’s perfect.   
His feelings for Katara were growing every day they were together. It would only be a matter of time before he would explode.  
These next few months are going to be torture. Aang thought, with a resigned sigh. I’m in trouble.


	2. Jealosy

Thanks to anyone who’s read the first part of my story – I hope you enjoyed it!  
A special thanks to JessL2 (my first follower :D). I’ve tried to take your advice on board.  
Comments are deeply appreciated.  
\- Ellie  
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..............  
“Have I ever mentioned how much I hate heights?” Sokka asked his companions as they swung their legs over the tree-top balcony.  
Aang rolled his eyes at Katara and they both laughed.  
“You might’ve mentioned it once or twice”, she replied.  
In fact, her brother had ‘mentioned’ it exactly seventeen times – Aang had counted. Sokka’s fear of being ‘higher than humans should go’, as he put it, seemed a little sudden, considering all the time they spent on Appa. Maybe his apprehension wasn’t to do with where they were, but who they were with? Aang was totally on his side if that was true. There was something about Jet that didn’t seem quite right…  
Speak of the devil.  
“How’re you liking our little hideout?” the freedom fighter asked as he smoothly slid into the space next to Katara.  
Aang narrowed his eyes at Jet. Yep. Definitely something not quite right.  
Katara blushed and turned to the teenager. Before she could say anything, however, Aang answered for her.  
“Amazing”, he beamed. If he was nice to Jet maybe he could figure out what the guy’s deal was. “It’s like being eight again – you know, when you have those dreams of living in the trees?”  
Jet nodded approvingly whilst Katara glared at Aang. Dammit, she’d had the opportunity to impress Jet with something really intelligent but Aang had taken it instead! La, that boy was infuriating.  
“Yeah, it’s the best”, Jet said vaguely before turning to Sokka. “You know, Sokka, you’d make one hell of a freedom fighter. What with your boomerang skills and all.”  
Sokka, who was currently as far away from the edge of the platform as he could possibly get, lit up at the prospect. Finally! Someone who understood him for the skills he had, not his stomach’s desires, as most people came to know him by.  
“Really?” he said, completely caught off guard by the compliment.  
“Absolutely”, Jet said. “We even eat meat.”  
Katara shot a warning look at her brother, followed by an apologetic one at Jet.  
“Don’t forget, Sokka. We promised Aang we’d help him master the elements.”  
Sokka grumbled something about never getting what he wanted in response. Aang smiled gratefully at Katara. Even when she was annoyed at him, Katara stuck up for him. It only made him like her more. The way her chocolate waves got caught in the breeze and twisted out of her plait, and the way her eyes always reminded Aang of the ocean, no matter where they were, made it worse somehow. Jet’s presence also didn’t help.  
Katara felt the older boy’s eyes on her and twisted round to face him. His dark eyes bored into hers as he said, “I wish you would stay.”  
Katara, a little breathless, acknowledged this flattering remark by dropping her eyes and whispering “I do too.”  
“Humph” Aang said, and went to stand next to Sokka with his arms crossed.  
“Something bothering you, Avatar?” Sokka asked, slightly mocking.  
Casting a wistful glance in Katara’s direction, Aang didn’t say anything.  
“Yeah, I know” Sokka continued. “I don’t trust that Jet guy either.”  
Aang nodded his agreement, secretly thanking the spirits that the brother of his crush had no idea what he was actually thinking about.


	3. The eye of the storm

I’m new to fanfiction, but I really hope you enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoy writing it.  
Thanks to everyone who’s read it, and please, leave comments! It would be great to know what you think.  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................  
This wasn’t right. Damn that fisherman and his stupid, quick assumptions. It physically pained Katara to see Aang like this. His angelic face was scrunched up into a mask of pure regret as he told her the tale of his decision to run away. Every time he mentioned Monk Gyatso’s name, Aang would flinch, causing Katara to flinch too – his pain was her pain.  
“I just…left,” he said, his voice finally breaking. Katara linked her fingers with his as she held his hand.  
“Aang,” she told him, her voice firm. “You had nothing to do with the Fire Nation attack. Sozin was as evil as anyone can be, and you would’ve been killed yourself if you had been there.”  
The young airbender looked up at her with wide silver eyes, grateful for her reassurance. But nothing could take away the guilt he felt when thinking of the only home he ever belonged to, destroyed during his time of cowardice. Katara watched as emotions flitted across his youthful features, her heart reaching out to her friend as his brows furrowed and he looked towards the flickering fire.   
Aang’s breath caught when Katara suddenly flung her arms around him and pulled him in for a tight hug. Neither of them had expected it, but neither questioned it either: somehow, it felt right.  
Katara reluctantly let go of the Avatar, sitting back to look at him with a remorseful expression on her lovely face. Aang cocked his head in curiosity.  
“Katara, what’s wrong?” he asked.  
The Water Tribe girl cleared her throat. “Aang, I never said sorry for the way I acted a few days ago. I shouldn’t have stolen that scroll. It was a stupid, selfish thing to do and I put everyone in danger. I’m so sorry.”  
Aang shook his head and smiled empathetically at his friend. “It’s ok, Katara, really. I completely understand why you did it, and I’m actually really glad you did. That scroll will teach us a lot and help me master waterbending.”  
Katara sighed with relief and was again reminded of Aang’s forgiving nature. She admired him for that.  
“And we’ll get your necklace back,” Aang continued. “I promise.”  
Katara glared into the flames as memories of the Fire Prince made her lips thin in anger. How dare he steal her most prized possession. Zuko had no idea how much that necklace meant to her. She would do anything to get it back, and Aang knew it. The airbender was almost worried for the Prince’s wellbeing – he had seen what Katara was like when she was angry at Sokka. Agni only knew what she’d be like towards someone who had actually wronged her.   
Then again, Aang didn’t like the guy much either; especially the way his eyes had travelled appreciatively up and down Katara’s slender figure when he had her tied to the tree. Or the way he’d leaned in a little too closely and left his fingers on her neck for a little too long when he blackmailed her with the necklace.   
In fact, Aang found the Fire Prince downright creepy.   
He looked over at Katara’s eyes gleaming softly in the firelight and made up his mind. He would get her mother’s necklace back as a surprise for her. The thought of how happy she’d be once it was returned to her made Aang smile.  
He ignored the real reason behind his decision. The Avatar was not supposed to be selfish.  
Aang was jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of thunder echoing around the cavernous walls. Rain pelted down outside as lightning lit up the shadowed parts of the cave.  
Katara’s fearful eyes found his and Aang immediately understood.  
“I know,” he said. “I’m worried about them too. We’ll go out and find them once this storm calms down a bit.”  
Despite Aang’s reassurances, however, Katara couldn’t help glancing fearfully into the night. Her brother was in that storm. He could be in danger.  
“I don’t think we can wait that long,” she said.  
Neither, apparently, did the fisherman’s wife, who suddenly appeared at the entrance of the cave. As Katara waterbended the moisture out of the woman’s soaked clothes, she told them about the terrible ocean conditions. Katara looked imploringly at her friend.   
Aang gave in – how could he say no with her looking at him like that?  
Once Appa was ready, they climbed on, promising the woman that they’d return her husband safe and sound. Aang smiled at his companion, boosting her confidence. Sokka was alright. He had to be.  
Together, they flew into the eye of the storm, each gaining courage from the other’s presence.


	4. A plan

Wow. I’m amazed by the amount of views this has received over Archive of our Own, FanFiction and Wattpad!  
The comments I’ve got are so nice to read, so please, keep them coming!  
And if there’s anything you want to suggest as an improvement or you want to ask me about then feel free.  
I’ve thrown something extra in here that may surprise you (in a good way, I hope), but don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten my original intention.  
Anyway, I’ll leave you in peace now. Enjoy!  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Katara gulped in awe at the sight of Aang.  
Despite the lava rapidly approaching, the boy gave no sign of nervousness at all. He just stood there with a steely glint in his eyes, daring the hot liquid to come any closer.  
But of course a force like that can’t be stopped, and Katara realised with a panicked gasp that the trench in front of the Avatar wouldn’t hold all of the lava currently speeding towards the little village. Their cloud manipulation had all been for nothing.  
“Aang!” she screamed, desperate for them all to just get of there safely. “The trench isn’t big enough! It’ll overflow!”  
Aang whirled around and caught Katara’s horrified gaze. His grey eyes widened as he reached the same conclusion.  
Get back. Katara pleaded with him wordlessly.  
The Avatar shook his head. No. He could do this.  
With barely concealed dread, Aang turned to face the oncoming danger. Katara held her breath. What was he thinking?   
She’d be mad at him if she wasn’t so worried.  
Aang racked his brain for a way to stop the village being destroyed. There had to be something he could do!  
The pure fear resonating through the villagers behind him was definitely not helping. Katara’s terrified whimper cut through the screams and Aang made up his mind.  
Facing the lava speeding towards him, the Avatar took a stance. He took a deep breath and waited for the right moment.  
***  
Zuko looked at the necklace glimmering softly in his hands. Without knowing its backstory, he could tell how much it meant to the Water Tribe girl. The velvet was worn and the clasp was well used, betraying its age and value to its owner.  
Like my dagger, he thought.  
Zuko knew the girl would do anything to get her trinket back. A slight smile graced his lips.  
The Fire Prince thought back to the last time he’d seen the Avatar. Aang had crashed through the forest to find the girl, his obsession with her obvious in the way his eyes had frantically searched for her amongst the pirates.  
Despite his hatred of the Avatar, however, Zuko could see the attraction to Katara. She was distractingly beautiful, what with her chocolate brown her framing her sapphire eyes…  
No.  
The Water Tribe girl was bait; a simple pawn in the Fire Prince’s plan to restore his honour. Nothing more.  
Besides, she already had an admirer.   
Zuko’s eyes sparkled dangerously. He couldn’t see any flaws in his plan.   
Katara would do anything to get her necklace back, and Aang would do anything for Katara…  
The banished prince looked up and smiled.  
Perfect.


	5. Opportunities

Hi everyone, I’ll keep this one quick.  
Just to say, thanks to everyone who’s read I’m In Trouble and please keep commenting!  
Your reviews and suggestions are very helpful.  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
The man watched the Avatar, his growing disdain for the boy evident in his fiery eyes.  
“Look at me, Katara!” Aang exclaimed, proud of the flame dancing across his palm.  
“Hm?” The Water Tribe girl looked up, distracted. Her mind was on other things.  
Noticing Katara’s pained expression, Aang extinguished the fire in his hands. His silver eyes watched as her delicate fingers traced the smooth skin of her neck, and he yet again wondered what it would feel like to have his lips pressed against hers, if they really were as soft as they looked…  
Behind Aang, Jeong Jeong cleared his throat.   
Heat rushed to the Avatar’s cheeks as he avoided the firebending master’s gaze. Jeong Jeong chuckled to himself. He might be getting on in his age, but he wasn’t blind yet. Not to anything physical, or to anything emotional.  
“You know we’ll get it back, don’t you?” Aang asked.  
Katara sighed as her friend came to sit next to her. She still had no idea how he immediately knew what she was thinking.  
“I know,” she said. “It’s just – it feels like a part of me has been ripped away.”  
She turned to face Aang, determination sparkling in her sapphire eyes.  
Aang gulped.  
“I need it back, Aang.” She told him. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”  
***  
Hidden by bushes, Prince Zuko watched the Avatar and the girl sitting on the riverbank.  
His golden eyes narrowed in recognition of the tall white-haired man standing in the river.  
Jeong Jeong.   
The Deserter.   
The Fire Lord would not be pleased to know the old master was still alive. Zuko began to plan the man’s capture, but quickly remembered his purpose. He was not here to arrest the Fire Nation fugitive, despite how easy it would be to do so.  
Clenching his jaw in frustration, the banished Prince looked away from Jeong Jeong. He hated letting someone go like that. It went against everything he stood for.  
Zuko returned his gaze to the two figures talking side by side. When he overheard Katara’s comment about her necklace, the Fire Prince smirked. He’d been right all along. There was no way the Water Tribe girl would forget about her trinket.  
Every instinct Zuko had screamed at him to take advantage of the Avatar’s turned back, but Zuko kept himself in check. Three benders - including a master- to one were not good odds. He’d have to wait for the right moment to strike.  
“Prince Zuko,” a gravelly voice said behind him, making the teenager jump.  
He turned to face his uncle, fuming at his loud voice.  
“Shhhhh,” Zuko hissed. They could not be given away now; not when the Avatar was within his grasp.  
Iroh rolled his eyes and motioned for his nephew to accompany him back to the ship.  
Knowing there was no arguing with his uncle, Zuko reluctantly followed Iroh back through the forest.  
Before they were out of sight, however, the Fire Prince looked back at his enemy.  
The Avatar was exactly where Zuko wanted him to be, and would be there for some time if he was to master firebending.  
“Soon, young Avatar,” Zuko promised, “You will be begging for mercy at my feet.”  
***  
His opportunity arrived sooner than planned.


	6. Darkness

I tried to make this an extra-special one, which is why it’s so long.  
I’m not sorry about the cliff-hanger, by the way. Mwah hah hah.  
I know, I’m evil.  
Anyway, enjoy! I think you’ve waited long enough.  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
The moon glowed bright in the night sky, surrounded by glittering constellations. Shadows stretched between the trees where the light didn’t reach. The darkness screamed danger!   
Katara rolled away from the ominous forest, sighing at her over-active imagination. The dark had always terrified her - not that she’d ever let the others know. They didn’t need another excuse to see her as nothing but a useless waterbender.  
Her arm started to go numb beneath her, so she sat upright on her mat. Looking over at her brother, Katara felt the familiar pang of protectiveness she’d had over him ever since her mother died. Although Sokka was the older sibling, it had constantly seemed like she’d been the one looking out for him, not the other way round. His immaturity levels had always been higher than hers, meaning Katara had usually been the one making the important decisions.   
The novelty of being in charge had worn off after a while however, and she had realised that he needed to make his own decisions at some point in his life. So the ‘take charge’ side of Katara had stepped back, letting her inexperienced brother handle the reins for once. Naturally, Sokka had let that go to his head, but Katara didn’t mind. Despite all her and Aang’s teasing, her brother’s instincts were generally right.  
With a proud smile, Katara looked away from her snoring sibling.  
Her gaze came to rest on the Avatar’s sleeping figure. In the dying firelight, she saw that his features had softened in sleep. Aang had been so tense recently, obsessed with mastering the elements before Sozin’s comet arrived. Katara shook her head sadly at the amount of pressure put on Aang. It was too much for one boy to handle.  
Skimming Aang’s angelic features, Katara wished she had some way that showed she belonged to a bending culture, like Aang’s arrow tattoo. She had her mother’s necklace, but it wasn’t the same. It didn’t immediately say ‘waterbender’ when you looked at it, the same way Aang’s tattoo immediately said ‘airbender’.   
Katara’s eyes closed in silent anger at the thought of her missing necklace. Zuko would pay for taking the only personal possession she owned. He had no idea how much it meant to her.  
Aang did though. Katara had believed her friend when he had promised they would get it back. Somehow his reassurance had been the only thing that made her feel better about the whole situation. She knew she could count on him.  
The last of the flames flickered, casting shadows that danced across the Avatar’s flawless skin. Katara’s eyes widened as she realised something had changed. She still felt protective and kind of motherly towards the boy, but the struggles she’d watched him go through had made her start to feel something else.  
Something Katara was scared to look too closely at.  
Taking a deep breath, Katara decided a distraction was needed. It was obvious that she couldn’t join her companions in sleep, much as she wanted to. There were too many thoughts flying around her head, threatening to turn into a headache.  
Katara silently rose from her makeshift bed and crossed over to Aang’s satchel, where the waterbending scroll she’d stolen from the pirates was poking out. She crouched down and, trying not to make a sound, lifted the heavy leather over the top of the bag and quickly took the scroll. She sighed in relief when Aang didn’t make a sound.  
Katara knew how much he needed sleep.  
The river was on the other side of the trees, meaning she’d have to go through the black forest to get there. Katara steeled herself for the darkness, but before she stepped under the dense canopy, she looked back at the camp.  
Aang had rolled over in his sleep, and was now facing her as she walked away. Katara smiled softly in the boy’s direction and whispered, “I’ll be back soon.”  
Then, the Water Tribe girl turned away from her companions, and, holding her head high, strode into the shadows before her.  
Right into the waiting arms of the banished Prince.


	7. Panic

Hola, everyone.  
Just wanted to say how much I appreciate all your comments and votes   
Love you all!  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Aang watched through long eyelashes as Katara’s eyes glittered silver in the moonlight before she turned to walk away. His sleep-deprived mind barely had time to register the soft expression on her face before dreams of chocolate hair and sapphire eyes invaded his mind again.  
***  
“Hey!” A loud voice crudely woke the sleeping Water Tribe boy. “Where’s Katara?”  
Sokka sat up and yawned. Scratching his head, he looked up at the airbender boy standing over him.  
“I dunno,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “I bet she just went off to practise her waterbending near the river and fell asleep.”  
He wasn’t worried. Katara knew what she was doing, and she was definitely not vulnerable. Sokka had witnessed her skills first hand. She could hold her own in any fight. Besides, it would never come to that. They were in a secluded part of a forest; it would be impossible for anyone to sneak up on them. At least, that’s what Sokka told himself.  
“Well, I’m sure Katara would be touched at your concern,” Aang huffed. He prodded the dying fire, blowing into it in a failed attempt to relight it. But the stupid embers wouldn’t light.  
Giving up, Aang brushed his hands against his trousers and stood. His eyes were drawn to the treeline, still dark even though it was morning. He couldn’t help thinking about Katara’s smile before she turned away. There had been kindness there, but something else too…  
The Avatar turned to face Sokka.  
“Come on,” he said, forcefully. “Let’s find her.”  
***  
A tree branch suddenly materialised in front of Aang’s face, and he brushed it away impatiently. Neither of the boys had realised how far it was to the river. It had been lighter when they’d first made their way to Jeong Jeong’s camp, and they’d had Chey to lead the way.  
Aang glanced at Sokka warily. He didn’t like to think about how dark it must have been for Katara when she’d made her way through the forest. It was hard to see now, when the sun was up, let alone when the sky was dark as well.  
They pushed on faster.  
After what seemed like hours, the two companions finally burst through the shrub and stopped before they hit the fast-flowing river. They looked around frantically, but there was no sign of the Water Tribe girl.  
Aang tried to calm his breathing, but he couldn’t help assuming the worst. After seeing the state in which the Fire Nation had left his only home, there was no other way to think.  
Meeting Sokka’s equally distressed eyes, they decided to split up.  
“You go that way,” Sokka told Aang, point downriver. “And I’ll go this way. Meet back here in ten minutes.”  
***  
There was nothing. No sign at all. No scuff marks to tell if there’d been a struggle, no broken branches - no clues whatsoever.  
It killed Aang not to know what had happened.  
Maybe Sokka had found something.  
It was obvious from the Water Tribe boy’s expression that he hadn’t found anything either.  
Aang sank to his knees and buried his head in his hands. No no no no no… Not Katara. His stomach dropped and he felt sick. What if- no. He refused to even think that. She was alive and they would get her back.   
As Sokka paced back and forth, they both came to the same conclusion. There was only one way anyone could reach this part of the clearing, and that was on the river.  
Hatred sparked in both of the boy’s eyes as they nodded bitterly to each other.  
Whoever had taken Katara would pay.  
***  
Zuko grinned smugly to himself as he watched the Avatar and the girl’s brother take off upriver on the flying bison.   
Agni, they were predictable.  
He turned back towards the forest, his mind already on his next problem: how to convince Katara he needed his honour back, and that the only way he’d get that was if he had her friend.  
This was going to be one of the hardest things the banished Prince would ever have to do.


	8. Manipulation

Sorry I haven’t updated for a while, been a bit busy.  
Thank you all so much for your comments, they’re so great to read. Please keep telling me what you think!  
In the meantime, I’ll try to update as much as possible.  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
The floor writhed under her feet as Katara sat up and groaned. A headache stabbed against her skull, and she put her cool palm against her forehead in an attempt to calm it down. After a while, her head cleared and Katara could think again.  
She knew what had happened, but had no idea where she was. Judging by the constant tilting of the floor and the slightly damp cell she was currently in, Katara was on a boat. A quick look through the circular window told her the same thing.  
Ha, she thought. Water. Zuko’s really not as smart as he thinks he is.  
Getting up awkwardly – her leg had gone numb because of the way she’d been sleeping – Katara steadied herself. She raised her hands and began to move them in a single fluid motion, aiming to create an ice shard hard enough to break through the iron hull separating her from the river. If this worked, she could take down two birds with one stone. Katara would escape, and the Fire Nation boat would sink, delaying the Prince’s hunt for Aang. She smiled smugly and waited for the familiar feeling of control. But the water never called to her.  
Katara lost track of how long she spent trying to waterbend. With every attempt she grew more and more frustrated until finally, exhausted and angry, she slumped down with an annoyed sigh.  
Her brow furrowed and she ran her fingers through her messy hair. What was wrong with her? She knew she wasn’t a master yet – far from it – but shouldn’t something have happened by now? The water had stubbornly remained unresponsive, and Katara hadn’t felt the usual stillness that accompanied waterbending.  
She growled and banged her fist against the metal just as a dark figure slunk out of the shadows.  
“Your waterbending won’t work here,” said a gravelly voice. Katara immediately recognised it as the voice that had hunted them all over the world. An involuntary shiver ran up her spine.  
“And why’s that?” she asked, her voice as cold as ice.  
The Fire Prince chuckled. “The iron blocks your skills. As long as you’re on this ship, you can’t affect water.”  
Katara composed herself before her shock became obvious. She’d never been rendered completely useless before. It hadn’t occurred to her that her waterbending could be blocked. Her panicked mind raced as she tried to come up with an escape plan.  
Zuko’s self-satisfied smile filtered through her thoughts and she realised she could use his ego to her advantage. If he was telling the truth, and she really was helpless, there was only one way to get off this ship: by using cunning and a bit of luck.  
But she couldn’t make it obvious.  
Katara slid her back down the cool metal of the boat’s frame. She forced her body into a relaxed position and crossed her arms. Forming a reluctantly impressed expression onto her perfect features, the Water Tribe girl found Zuko’s fiery eyes behind the bars of her cell.  
“You must have been planning this for a long time,” she said.  
Zuko tried to hide his glowing pride, but the girl’s sea-green eyes bored into him as if they saw everything. It was very unnerving and it made his heart beat wildly. He quickly averted his gaze before she could affect him anymore. The Prince took a deep breath and turned back to Katara, her slender form radiating uncertainty. Good. Soon she would give him the information he sought in return for her release and his suffering would be over.  
The banished Prince stalked towards the door, his back to the Water Tribe girl. But before he shut her in once again, Zuko looked over his shoulder and smirked.  
“Ages,” he told her, clanging the iron door shut behind him.  
Katara smiled grimly in the dim light, hating the manipulation Zuko had reduced her to. But she had to get back. Aang and Sokka were relying on her.  
***  
“Sokka, we have no choice,” Aang told the sour-faced teenager in front of him. “I don’t like it either, you know I don’t, but we need help if we want to get Katara back. And he’s the best tracker around.”  
Sokka nodded regretfully. He knew the boy was right. They’d been travelling around the same forest for hours and hadn’t seen any sign of Katara.  
“Alright,” he said. “But for La’s sake, don’t trust everything he says. We don’t need a repeat of last time. Not now.”  
Aang gave a sharp tug on Appa’s reins and they began to fly back the way they’d come, both boys aware of the lack of Katara’s presence.


	9. Old friends

Hey guys!  
Sorry the last one wasn’t very fluffy, but do not despair. It will be soon.  
I know I say this every time, but I really am grateful for all your encouragements. You guys are the best :D  
I really hope you enjoy my story as much as I enjoy writing it.  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Sokka sat on a boulder slowly rubbing the soles of his feet. The long hike through the forest had tired him out. He’d regretted their decision only an hour into the trek, but they’d been walking for a day now and Sokka was on the verge of suggesting they turn back.  
In Appa’s saddle, both boys had agreed to find the hideout on foot. Jets lair was too well-camouflaged to be seen from the air and the only clues to its whereabouts were animal traps on the ground and the pink vines dangling from the trees.   
But they’d seen neither on their journey and Aang was starting to feel the same way as the Water Tribe boy. He felt despair crashing down on him as he realised they’d have to come up with a different way of finding Katara. Aang and Sokka had spent hours trying to figure out what had happened to her, but they hadn’t managed to come up with any ideas. They couldn’t even be sure she had been taken.   
If he was honest, Aang would have much preferred it if she had left them. It would hurt more, but it would mean she was partly safe. He couldn’t stand to imagine her stuck somewhere with her kidnapper. A shiver ran up the Avatar’s spine and he shook his head.  
Enough. Thinking like this wouldn’t help her.  
Aang turned sharply to the teenager behind him. “Come on,” he said. “If we haven’t seen a sign after an hour, then I’ll call Appa. But we can’t give up yet.”  
Sokka looked up and nodded wearily. He’d been thinking the same thing.  
Groaning, the Water Tribe Boy stood up. Greenery stretched in every direction, making him slightly dizzy. It was hard for Sokka to get used to the freedom after living in the snowy plains of the Southern Water Tribe for 15 years. He’d grown up surrounded by white and bits of blue. Despite having travelled with Aang for so long, he still couldn’t help marvelling at all the life so obviously bursting from the trees.  
In a way, he envied Jet at his isolation. He was always so far above everything. It was a great advantage.  
Aang watched Sokka staring wide-eyed at the forest surrounding them, and wondered if Katara had had the same reaction the first time she’d seen trees. Growing up in the mountains, there had been less greenery than here, but he had seen forests before. He couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for them living in such a barren landscape, seeing the same people over and over again. How boring. He wondered what they’d done for fun.  
Taking a mental note to ask Katara to teach him how to play Southern Water Tribe games, Aang started walking again, Sokka following closely behind.  
Neither wanted to admit the obvious: they might never find Jet’s hideout again. It was too awful to even think about. Sokka’s basic hunting skills weren’t enough to track his sister’s abductor, and even Appa wasn’t much help. Whoever was able to take Katara must have been clever enough to hide where you can’t see them from above.   
Both tried to keep their minds off Katara as they pushed further and further into the dense forest, each losing a little hope with every step.  
***  
There was no warning. One minute they were alone, the next they were surrounded.  
Sokka put a reassuring hand on Aang’s shoulder and they both raised their hands in surrender.  
“Well, well, well,” said a familiar voice behind them. “Wasn’t expecting to see you two again.”  
“Jet,” Aang nodded towards the dark-haired boy coming towards them. They might have to work together, but that didn’t mean Aang was going to trust him. The time for that had been and gone.  
“And to what do we owe the pleasure, Avatar?” Jet said, his speech a little stunted by the grass he kept chewing on.  
What had Katara seen in him?  
“We need your help.”


	10. Speechless

Again, sorry they haven’t been particularly fluffy as of late. I don’t plan these things, they just kinda pop into my head and I roll with it.  
Just letting you all know, I haven’t forgotten about my original Kataang intentions. However, I’m hoping this story will continue for a while so I’ve begun to make it a little more interesting. You’ll see what I mean.  
I hope you still like them though. And continue to like them, obviously.  
Anyhoo, I’ll get back to the story now. Enjoy!  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
“Why didn’t you just take him?”  
Zuko jumped, then reigned himself in. He slid his Dao swords carefully back in their sheathes and gently placed them on the wooden table in front of him. Ready to shout for his guards to put her back in her cell, the Prince turned around.   
But he was momentarily caught off guard by the sight of Katara leaning with her hip against the doorframe, her arms crossed across her chest. She’d taken her plait out, and her hair now cascaded down her back in chocolate waves. Ringlets framed her oval face, and the dark blue of her clothes brought out the purplish hues of her eyes.  
Whatever Zuko was about to say was choked in his throat, and he had to cough slightly to get rid of it. For a second, his mind scrambled to find something to say before deciding on “What?”  
He rolled his eyes. Smooth, Zuko.  
Katara, fully aware of the affect she was having on him, sighed and repeated herself.  
“You knew where he was. Why didn’t you just take Aang when you had the chance?”  
Zuko hadn’t been expecting this. None of his other prisoners had ever questioned his motives before.  
“I…didn’t want to risk being incapacitated. Normally, three on one wouldn’t be a problem. But when one of them is the Avatar…” He knew he watch clutching at straws, but he couldn’t seem to stop.  
“What about when we were asleep?” Katara questioned again.  
Zuko’s fiery eyes narrowed in suspicion, his scar crumpling into an even more grotesque version. From the other side of the room, Katara couldn’t help but wonder how he’d got it. Obviously, she’d heard stories of the Fire Prince’s marred features, but gossip in the Southern Water Tribe was about as reliable and accurate as asking a squirrel-frog what time it was. Nobody knew what had actually happened, and Katara was pretty sure the rumours weren’t anywhere close to the truth. She made a mental note to ask him at some point.  
“Why do you keep pushing this?” Zuko rebuked stiffly.  
“No reason,” Katara replied lightly, slowly walking closer until she stood right in front of the Prince. “Just wanted to know.”  
Then, with a swish of hazel hair, she turned and slipped out of the room.  
Zuko stood paralysed as Katara’s sweet scent rolled over him, watching as she left. Somewhere in the depths of his confused mind, the Prince acknowledged that Mai had never made him feel like this. And that, yet again, he was in trouble.   
***  
“Oof!” Iroh grunted as he walked into the girl.  
Katara landed with a bump on the floor of the metal ship.  
“I apologise, Princess,” he said as he offered a hand to help her up.  
“It’s alri- Wait, what did you call me?”  
The Dragon of the West smiled a secretive smile and pulled her up. But as he did so, Iroh leaned in towards her slightly and whispered in her ear, “Left hand corner, by the water,” before sauntering away in the opposite direction.  
For five minutes, the Water Tribe girl stood in the narrow corridor puzzling over what the old man had said. It made no sense. By the water? What did he mean? Muttering under her breath, Katara walked back to her cell.  
***  
The moonlight beat through the cubby window and ignited the girl’s shining eyes as they flew open. Taking an ever-present pin out of her plait, Katara smiled. She knew what she had to do.


	11. Back in the trees

HIT 3000 views!!!!!! Thank you all so much!!!  
Seriously. You guys are the best. Sorry I keep saying this but it’s true.  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
“I swear, if you don’t stop pacing, you won’t have legs to pace on by the time I’m through,” Sokka growled in Aang’s direction.  
“It’s been 2 days, Sokka,” Aang hissed back. “What the hell is taking them so long?”  
Since the Freedom Fighters had found them (ironically only about 250m from the vines), Aang and Sokka had spent hours cooped up in the trees, waiting for Jet’s answer. For some reason, he’d said that he needed to ‘confer’ with the rest of his group before joining them to find Katara. But that was 48 hours ago and the boys were growing restless.  
“Look, if we don’t have an answer by tonight, we’ll have to find another way of getting Katara,” Sokka said in a calming voice.  
Aang reluctantly nodded and sat down heavily on one of the thick tree vines that protruded into the tree house.  
***  
Hours later, when the boys were considering just getting up and leaving, Sokka’s blade began to vibrate in the tree trunk behind him.  
The Avatar’s head snapped up just as Jet, Pipsqueak and Smellerbee entered. Without any warning, he stalked towards the Freedom Fighters.  
“About time,” Aang spat.  
His hands raised in a surrendering gesture, Jet chuckled.  
“Calm it, friend,” he said. “We’ve decided to help you.”  
“Took you long enough,” Sokka remarked coldly. He might not be as forward as Aang, but he wasn’t too happy about the wasted time either.  
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Jet replied.  
“Some of us weren’t as… easily convinced as others,” Smellerbee chimed in vaguely. Pipsqueak grunted in agreement.  
Sokka and Aang shared a confused look before deciding that now wasn’t the time for arguing. Katara had already been gone for 3 days – who knows what could have happened to her. Neither of them wanted to think too hard about it.  
“Right then,” Jet said, turning towards the door. “You coming? I know exactly where to start.”  
And with that, he turned and disappeared into the canopy of leaves, leaving Aang and Sokka behind.  
The Avatar turned to the two remaining Freedom Fighters. “What about you?” He asked. “Are you not coming as well?” It seemed weird that after all that debate, Jet’s followers wouldn’t join them after all.  
“We are,” Pipsqueak said. “But we’ve just got to sort something out.”  
“We’ll be right behind you,” Smellerbee enforced.  
So Aang and Sokka followed Jet back to solid ground, Aang floating down lithely; Sokka about as graceful as a platypus-bear.  
Neither of them expected what awaited them on the ground.


	12. Unexpected

Hi everyone!  
So sorry it’s taken so long to update, I’ve been really busy recently. I hope you’re all having a great holiday.  
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (it’s very belated, but whatever :D)  
As a present to you all (well, it depends on whether you like my writing or not), I’ve made this an extra-long chapter. I really hope you don’t find it boring.  
Love you all.  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Footsteps echoed down the metal hallway, alerting the sleeping waterbender to the guard’s presence. She brushed the brown ringlets invading her vision away from her eyes and sat up, groaning.   
Slowly, Katara’s foggy mind registered the cold seeping through the folds of her blue chiffon dress. She looked down and realised she’d spent the entire night on the freezing iron floor of her cell. The patterned metal of the ship had imprinted on her cheek, and Katara couldn’t help but chuckle at the peculiar welts it had left.  
But her good mood faded as suddenly as it had come as the realisation that she was still stuck in the same dismal situation settled on her. Katara prided herself in the fact that she was strong-minded enough to think her way out of difficult circumstances, but still. Shouldn’t she have heard something from Aang and Sokka? Or didn’t they care?  
The waterbender shook her head violently, trying to clear her head of poisonous thoughts.  
No, she told herself. They will be doing everything they can, and you know it.  
Meanwhile, Katara had to help herself. Her eyes zeroed in on the irregular dent in the top left-hand corner of the cell where she’d used her hair pin to scratch at the weakened metal. The Dragon of the West’s hint had been spot on with its implication, and Katara couldn’t help wondering why Zuko’s uncle would want to help her. After all, he was Fire Nation and very close to the Fire Prince. Surely his loyalty should lie with his nephew?  
Evidently not. Katara had spent hours puzzling over Iroh’s motives, but hadn’t got very far.  
She wasn’t going to complain though. Without her bending, Katara was useless. It had never occurred to her that her abilities could be stopped. Stupid, really. She should’ve thought further ahead. But it was too late now.   
Even if she wouldn’t admit it, Iroh had done her a huge favour by helping her out. Katara didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened (or not happened, as the case would’ve been) if she’d been left without aid. Who knew where the boys were; it had been four days since she’d last seen them and Katara was actually beginning to think they weren’t coming. She hoped nothing had happened to them.  
But she trusted them both to look after themselves. Especially Aang. Not that her brother couldn’t look after himself, but she knew from experience that his impulsive tendencies could cause more problems than they solved. Even if Aang was three years younger, he seemed more mature somehow.  
Sometimes, anyway.  
She stood up, groaning as her cramped muscles stretched into more natural positions. Attempting to roll the crick out her neck, Katara made her way over to the wall. She dragged her light-weight bed into the corner and climbed up. The springs creaked as Katara adjusted her weight and she glanced nervously at the door, expecting a fire-wielding guard to burst through any minute. Luckily, the two guards assigned to watch her were too busy bickering over who had won their card game, so the waterbender turned her back on the door and faced the wall.  
The sharpened hair-pin glinted in the dim light as she took it from her hair, revealing a point sharp enough to pierce body armour. Katara was immensely proud of her make-shift weapon, as it had taken her hours of painful blisters and pin pricks to eventually file it down. The pin was still really awkward to hold, but Katara reckoned it wouldn’t take long before the needle finally made a hole in the boat’s hull.  
Iroh’s tip had indicated to a small spot of rust in the top corner of her cell, barely visible to anyone who didn’t already know it was there. As she’d worked at it, Katara had managed to flake bits of the weakened metal away, gradually getting closer and closer to the outside world.  
Once a hole appeared, Katara planned to somehow bend the water from inside the ship and use it to escape. She hadn’t quite figured out how yet, but the waterbender was sure she’d think of something when the time came. At least, that’s what she hoped.  
***  
For the next few hours, Katara worked steadily away at the metal until her fingers were sore. She was so close - she could practically feel the cool breeze dancing across her fingertips.  
There!  
A spot of blue, peeking out amongst the orange rust. Katara scratched away at the jagged edges of the hole, slowly but surely making it bigger.  
***  
He burst through the door with no warning. There was nothing Katara could do but slip the needle back into her plait and grin sheepishly.  
Furious brown eyes glared at her from across the room, their owner a huge firebender with oily black hair obscuring his twisted features. There was something off about this guy, Katara decided. She’d encountered tons of creepy Fire Nation soldiers before, but this was different. His eyes held something that went further than pure hatred.  
The man stalked towards her, making Katara shrink back further against the wall. He kept coming closer until he stopped right in front of the waterbender, his face inches from hers. A grotesque grimace flashed across his features as he raised a hand and struck her across the face.  
Katara gasped and fell back on the bed just as he reached down to pick her up by the neck. The yell in her throat was strangled before she could release it, but her hands were still free. She tugged desperately at the hand enclosed around her neck, sinking her nails into the flesh.  
The man swore and threw her at the wall, clenching his now bleeding hand to his body. Katara slid to the floor, pain exploding in her head. She whimpered and struggled to pull herself up. This was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Usually, they got out of situations before anything like this ever happened. Katara didn’t know what to do.  
“You stupid little waterbender,” he spat, making the insult seem so much worse in his vile voice. “What were you doing, huh?” He glanced at the cell corner. From where she was, Katara couldn’t see the hole, and she hoped he couldn’t too. Whatever this was about, showing that she’d succeeded in her aim would not help.  
“Thought you’d escape, did you?” He snarled. “Well, princess, you’re here now, and you’re little friends aren’t coming to save you.”   
Katara’s eyes widened as she realised what the man had said. “What- what do you mean?”  
He chuckled evilly, his towering body vibrating with the movement. Katara shrank back against the cold iron, wishing there was time for her to waterbend.  
She watched with horror as he brought his foot back, ready to strike again. Time slowed down as the kick drew nearer. Katara held her breath, mentally prepared herself for the pain.  
But it never came.  
“STOP!” Zuko roared, shooting the man off his feet with a powerful blast of fire. “What is going on?”  
The prince’s glowering eyes found Katara trembling on the ground and the breath left his lungs. “Katara,” he whispered.   
Zuko turned his furious gaze to the man crumpled in a heap on the other side of the cell. “What is the meaning of this, Lien?”  
“Sire,” Lien whimpered. “She was trying to escape! I caught her in the act. I was just teaching her a lesson.”  
Zuko shook his head in disgust. “Get out of my sight. You no longer deserve the title of a Fire Nation soldier.”  
Katara watched uncomfortably as Lien was led away in handcuffs, a guard on each side. If she hadn’t been in so much pain, Katara was sure she would have felt satisfaction at Lien’s dismissal and gratitude for Zuko’s timely arrival. But all she could feel was terror at her attacker’s last comment. What had he meant, they weren’t coming? Katara had enough sense to guess. Something had happened to the boys – something terrible.  
Fog seeped into her mind, clogging any rational thought. As she slipped into a welcome unconsciousness, Katara saw the Fire Prince kneel beside her with a concerned expression on his chiselled features.  
“Katara,” she heard him murmur; this new gentle Zuko so different from the intense prince he’d just been. “Katara, come back…”  
***  
Slowly, Katara came round.  
Zuko waited for the waterbender to regain consciousness properly from his seat on the freezing metal floor. Katara cringed when her bruised neck complained at the uncomfortable position she’d been resting in. The prince cringed along with her, resenting himself for getting her into this mess. If he’d just thought before placing Lien as Katara’s guard, she wouldn’t be hurting right now. Zuko had known Lien’s backstory – he should have realised the kind of situation he’d be put in. Lien had even told Zuko of his vow to avenge his family after seeing them die at the hands of Northern Water Tribe soldiers. And Zuko had given that monster the perfect opportunity to carry out his promise.  
He cursed himself for his stupidity.  
Then Katara groaned from her bed and buried her head in her arms. Zuko had had his personal doctors look at her, but it didn’t seem to have made any difference. The prince wished there was something else he could do to help. He stood up to hover around her bed.  
Katara looked up to find Zuko standing over her, and her breath hitched. Despite somehow knowing he wouldn’t hurt her, everything from his proximity to the colours on his tunic reminded her of her attacker.  
Terror entered Katara’s blue eyes, darkening them in a way Zuko had never seen before. Sadness entered his heart as he realised she would never trust him; not after Lien. The intensity of his feelings surprised Zuko and scared him. He’d never felt this way before - well, outside of his feelings for his mother, but that was different. The young waterbender had changed him in the few days she’d been here, and Zuko didn’t want to look too far into what that meant.  
For now, he had to keep sight of what his main purpose was for having her here: the Avatar. She was his bait.   
The familiar ice entered his heart as he called his guards over.   
“Handcuff her,” he commanded them. “We don’t want her escaping like Lien”- Katara flinched at the sound of his name – “suspected she would.”  
In the back of her mind, Katara acknowledged the cold metal that now enclosed her wrists, but she was still exhausted from the assault. Oblivion welcomed the waterbender again just as the heavy cell door clanged shut; Katara’s pain-riddled mind vaguely commenting, ‘What an appropriate ending to such an awful day’.


	13. Respect

Hi again.  
It’s been quite a while, sorry about that. I hope to keep updating as much as possible, but you know how life is.  
I know I usually switch viewpoints after each story and you’re probably sick of Katara by now, but this next one is important, so I hope you like it!  
Please keep commenting and voting – you have no idea how much it helps us writers (unless you are one yourself, of course). Plus, and this is a purely selfish reason, it makes me feel so great :D  
Thanks y’all.  
\- Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
It had been six days since she’d last seen Aang and her brother. Six days. Sokka might be little childish sometimes, but Katara knew he still considered himself her guardian – enough that it wouldn’t have taken him six days to track her down. And Aang… Well, she’d like to think he was the same.  
Lien’s words had been echoing in her mind for hours now: ‘your friends aren’t coming to save you’. He could have just been taunting her, but somehow Katara didn’t believe that. Lien had known something. And her instincts told her it wasn’t a good something. Wherever they were, Aang and Sokka were in danger, and the only person who could help them was chained to her cell with her hands behind her back. There was no way she could waterbend in this position.  
Katara kicked the cold iron floor in frustration just as the door creaked open. She stiffened but relaxed as soon as she saw who the visitor was.  
“Haven’t you done enough damage to our ship, princess?” Iroh’s gentle voice chuckled from across the room. A hot cup of tea was cradled in his wide hands, its steam trailing towards the ceiling, as if he was protecting it from the harsh world outside.  
“Why do you call me that?” Katara asked as he made his way over to her, cloak swishing along the black floor.  
“All in good time,” he told her as he crouched down. Katara flinched away from the proximity involuntarily, cursing herself for her new weakness. An angry expression flitted across Iroh’s usually kind features so quickly that Katara wasn’t sure she’d seen it.  
“S-sorry,” she mumbled, her eyes fixed on the metal underneath her.  
Iroh, realising what she must have thought, quickly corrected her. “Oh no, child,” he said, “not you. That Lien will pay for what he did to you.”  
Katara sighed and looked at Zuko’s uncle. In the last two days, he’d been the only visitor to her lonely cell and Katara was more grateful for the company than ever before. Whilst she hadn’t seen Zuko since the attack, Iroh had quickly figured out her favourite flavour of tea and always made sure she had as much as she wanted. He was so much nicer than Katara had been led to believe any firebender could be, especially the Dragon of the West. She wondered how he’d got that name in the first place…  
Iroh held the steaming cup towards her and she took a tentative sip. The tea burned its way down her throat like it always did, clearing her head and waking her up.  
“Better?” the old man asked.  
She smiled and nodded.  
“Good,” he said. Groaning, Iroh straightened up, his back clicking in the process. The ship bobbed up and down as the Dragon of the West turned back to the door. But before he left, Iroh looked back at the waterbender and studied her, carefully considering what he was about to say.  
“You know, Katara,” he said, his voice lowered so the guards outside the door wouldn’t hear him. “You’re stronger than you think. The rules that bind the rest of us might not apply to you too.”  
And with that, General Iroh sauntered out of Katara’s cell, leaving her yet again in a state of confusion and asking herself why the hell he always had to speak in riddles.  
***  
Katara lay on her back with the cold metal of the ship seeping through her thin dress, looking up at the uneven hole she’d made a few days ago, before… She shuddered. Don’t go there.  
It was midday; she could tell by the position of the sun in the sky. Another half a day gone, and she was no closer to getting out of this mess than she had been at the start. The shackles around her wrists were aching and she longed to just be able to move them without the metal digging into her skin. Now would be the time to use waterbending to get out of this situation, but her hands were behind her. As a rule, you can’t bend without using your hands for the movements. So infuriating.  
Wait.  
As a rule… A rule.  
What had Iroh said? “The rules that bind the rest of us might not apply to you too.”  
Katara sat up and looked over her shoulder at her hands handcuffed behind her. Maybe she could… No. Stupid idea. Nobody could do that.  
And yet. She had no other ideas. Might as well give it a go.  
The waterbender crossed her legs and closed her eyes. Although she’d never done it herself, Katara had seen Aang meditate lots of times and knew the basics. She just had to relax and clear her mind of any thought.  
Katara retreated into herself and for two hours remained as still as possible whilst the boat around her rocked and swayed to the rhythm of the water below.  
Slowly but surely images and feelings came to her; essences of elements and beings and spirits. All was calm inside her mind as the waterbender carefully felt out for the sense of the river the ship was resting on. There.  
The water ran through her mind like the real thing outside, and she imagined herself jumping into it and letting it carry her along its path. Katara flowed with it, twisting and turning at the same moment, holding onto the feeling of it. Then suddenly, waterbending moves flashed through her head and…  
She had it. Caught in her grasp to do whatever she wanted with – the water.  
With her eyes still closed, Katara fed a strand of the river through the hole in the hull and directed it towards the shackles binding her wrists. An icy breath escaped her lungs and the water froze on the metal. Katara could see spirit of the water in her mind’s eye and urged it to expand. It obeyed her, and the handcuffs broke apart with a resounding ‘clunk’.  
Rubbing her wrists, Katara grinned and made her way over to the door. She considered blowing it off its hinges, but couldn’t resist a bit of drama. Using the water to unlock it, the waterbender opened up the door from the inside and strode past the guards with a smooth “Evening, boys,” savouring the looks of astonishment on their faces. With quick spurts of water, Katara froze them to the walls, leaving their noses free to breathe.  
The ship was bigger than she’d realised and Katara knew she was wasting valuable time by getting lost. Heart thumping, she raced along the narrow corridors, well aware of the racket her shoes were making on the metal floor. It was only a matter of time before she came across come the guards, and Katara didn’t want to push her luck on a battalion of Fire Nation soldiers.  
Just as she was starting to think she’d never get out, Katara burst out of the ship and onto the deck. She’d been lucky not encountering any guards below, but now she was even more visible in her bright blue dress and the waterbender knew she had to get out of there fast. Who knew what they’d do to her if they found her.  
Katara ran over the rails and climbed up, ready to ride away on a wave. But just as she summoned the current, a blast of fire shot past her shoulder and knocked her back to the ground.  
“Going somewhere?” asked a familiar voice.  
Zuko stood defiantly behind her, surrounded by 50 guards and firebenders, all poised and ready to attack. His expression showed no surprise at her having gotten out, but fury and annoyance. It was enough to chill Katara to the bone and she realised just how naïve she’d been.  
This isn’t a game, Katara, she reminded herself.   
Brushing dirt off her dress, Katara moved to stand but Zuko quickly barked out, “Don’t move.”  
So she stayed sat down and stared at Zuko, refusing to let him terrify her. His eyes burned into hers as neither of them moved; a silent battle raging between them.   
He couldn’t let her go. She was his one chance of capturing the Avatar.  
But Katara had also been focusing on other things, and Zuko’s refusal to back down had prevented him from noticing the wall of water building behind him. Every time she felt the water’s power waning, Katara thought of Aang and Sokka, and the water rose even higher. It wasn’t until the shadow fell across the ship that the men finally looked up and saw the danger they were in.  
“Now,” Katara said firmly, raising her voice so everyone could hear. “You’re going to let me go, or I let the wave fall.”  
Zuko ignored his men’s cries of incredulity and stared at Katara, trying to suppress the respect building up inside. A rogue thought fluttered through his mind, ‘finally, a worthy opponent’, and he shook his head to dislodge it.  
“No?” Katara asked, mistaking his head shake for an answer. “Well, then-”  
“STOP!” Zuko yelled, and Katara looked back at him with shining blue eyes, again catching him unprepared. “You are free to leave. But I will never forget this.”  
The waterbender had no doubt that the Prince meant that as a threat, but she was too busy focusing on controlling the water for it to scare her.  
“Good,” she replied, and she dove into the river, reducing the wave into nothing but a few ripples.  
***  
Iroh watched as the girl disappeared into the water, pride growing in his chest.  
You will be the best of them all, Katara, he thought as he turned to watch the sun dip below the horizon.


	14. Familiar Faces

Ok, there is absolutely no excuse.  
Sorry, sorry, sorry again for not updating. I’ve been a combination of lazy, busy, and out of ideas, which really sucks.  
But hopefully you can forgive me? (Pleeeeeeeease? Love you all)  
Sorry again. Hope you like the chapter :)  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….  
Thump. Thump. Thump.  
Someone was knocking on the inside of Aang’s head. Light burned through his eyelids, and his vision blurred.   
Slowly but surely he came round.  
“Aang,” a voice whispered. “Aang!”  
Groggily, Aang looked to his right and could vaguely make out a silhouette in the gloom. He contorted his neck and craned around to see he was tied to a post in the middle of a circular room, its rock walls windowless and damp.  
The only light source came from a burning lamp attached to a bracket on the wall outside the cell, with its glow just reaching them through the iron bars of the door’s grate.  
Something shifted against Aang’s wrist and he jumped, tugging his hands away.  
“Ow ow Aang stop,” a pained whisper came from behind the airbender. “We’re tied together, you idiot.”  
Aang stopped trying to pull his hands free and twisted towards the voice.  
“Sokka?”  
“Who else would it be,” the voice grumbled in response.  
“Sokka!” Aang cried. “I’m so glad it’s you thank god you’re alive-”  
“Shut up!” Sokka hissed. “They’ll hear us.”  
The boys stopped still long enough to hear that no-one was coming, then Aang shuffled as far around the post as he could.  
“What happened? Why are we here?”  
In the gloom, Sokka rolled his eyes. “Because you’re the avatar, idiot. Which seems to be why we’re anywhere these days”.  
Aang ignored the dig and pressed harder. “Sokka, what’s going on?”  
Sokka sighed and whispered back, “How am I supposed to know? All I remember was trees and…”  
He cursed.  
Reaching the same realisation, Aang swore too and whispered, “Katara,” pain lacing his voice. “We didn’t find her.”  
Sokka gritted his teeth. “Jet,” he spat. “That traitor.”  
“We never should have trusted him again,” Aang said, his fists clenched behind his back.  
“As far as I recall, it was your idea to ask for his help,” Sokka said.  
Aang blanched. “Was not.”  
“Whatever, this isn’t going to help Katara. We need to figure out where we are.”  
A chuckle echoed off the cavernous walls of the cell. “Good luck with that,” a voice taunted from the shadows.  
They jumped, rope burning their wrists as they pulled away from each other.  
The figure stepped out of the dark and Aang held his breath. He recognised him… But where from…  
Oh.  
Sokka got there before him. “Zhao.”  
Blood red robes swinging, the fire nation commander strode to the centre of the room, his boots clacking on the cobbled floor. He raised a hand and struck Sokka across the face, who shrank back against the post.  
“Sokka!” Aang cried, then backed up against the post as Zhao turned to face him.  
“It’s Admiral Zhao to you, boy,” he directed at Sokka, then faced the avatar. “So you’re awake now are you.”  
Aang glared at the man towering over him; the burnt smell that constantly surrounded the Admiral filling the avatar’s nostrils.  
Aang turned his stormy grey eyes away from the fire bender’s dangerous gaze and looked at the floor.  
Zhao didn’t like this. “You will show me respect!” he screamed as he pushed Aang’s chin up to look at him. Leaning down to the avatar’s ear, he whispered maliciously, “You are the one in my prison. I don’t quite think you’re in a position to anger me right now.”  
Zhao chuckled again and Aang flinched away from him, repulsed by the physical presence of the man himself. He mentally cursed himself for his weakness and vowed that he would not let Zhao get away when Aang got them both out of this situation.  
If only he could use his hands…  
Before the avatar could come up with a plan, however, the sound of footsteps echoed from the far corridor.  
All three looked up as a fire nation soldier burst through the door, a look of frantic panic fixed on his face.  
“Something’s happening at the north tower! You are needed right away, sir!”  
Surprise flitted across Zhao’s face before quickly being replaced with frustration.  
“Watch them,” he snapped at the soldier before striding out of the cell, the door clanging shut behind him with a tone of finality.  
Keeping an eye on the soldier, Aang helped Sokka up.  
“Aang…” Sokka nodded toward the soldier standing by the door.  
As he looked closer, his image started to ripple and convulse.  
Aang recognised the figure before she had even fully formed.  
“Katara?”


	15. A taste of freedom

Hello again, my friends. Okay, so I started this story with an idea of what I wanted to do, but as you can probably guess, that kinda got lost along the way. However, I’ve decided to just go along with it and see where it goes.  
I hope that’s ok with you guys and you still enjoy it :D  
As ever, please feel free to comment and give me advice, it really does help.  
-Ellie  
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...  
What a pushover, Katara thought as she sped toward the base. All that soldier needed was a little nudge in the right direction…  
Maybe she was having a bit too much fun with her new-found ability, but for the moment Katara couldn’t care less. Thanks to the fire nation soldier’s tip, she knew where the boys were being held. Anger boiled up inside her as she thought about what could’ve happened to them, the red hot rage making the jet streams either side of her dance in anticipation.  
Come on, faster, she urged the water, and she surged forward as if it had a life of its own. There.  
***  
The fortress stood fifty feet high, its granite walls slimy with years of neglect. No light reached the base; it seemed to repel any form of illumination, and the lack of windows only added to the gloom. Fire nation flags were blowing wildly high above each of the four turrets, as though surveying their kingdom.  
Looking up at the monstrosity, Katara shivered. The freezing cold water clung to her skin as she clambered onto the bank, quickly bending the moisture out of her clothes. However, her skill couldn’t get rid of the chill now prickling down her back as she stared up at the Fire Nation’s fortress towering silently above her.  
She tried to ignore the air of rottenness it seemed to exude, but it proved difficult as the weight of her situation finally hit her.  
How was she supposed to get in, let alone find the boys?  
In her excitement, Katara hadn’t thought everything through. Now she was stranded outside a Fire Nation base, wearing Water Nation clothes, with the possibility of being discovered by a soldier constantly nagging at the back of her mind.  
But then it came to her.  
***  
“Katara?”  
Disbelief laced Aang’s voice, and it took everything Katara had not to burst into tears at the sight of them both. It felt like years since she’d seen them; so much had happened.  
But there they were, as unchanged as ever. Relief washed through her - and something else too as she saw the look in Aang’s eyes.  
It was a look she would never forget.  
“Katara, how did you-” Sokka’s voice brought Katara back to reality and she burst into action again.  
“Shhhh, no time to explain,” she insisted. “Let’s just get out of here.”  
In a few strong strides, she crossed the room to the post they were both tied to and used the water from her mirage to break their cuffs. All the while, the boys peppered her with questions until she looked pointedly at the door and told them to shut up.  
She was surprised when they did.  
When she was done, Sokka reached out to touch her face. He still couldn’t quite believe she was here. But as he extended his hand, Katara flinched away, ducking her head to hide her face. Sokka thought this was odd, but they hadn’t been particularly touchy siblings anyway so he thought nothing of it.  
Aang noticed though.  
As soon as he was free, Aang moved to hug her but the waterbender stepped back and visibly shrunk into herself. This Aang noticed too, and knew without a doubt something had happened to her while they had been separated. Katara wasn’t overly affectionate, but she’d always seemed to enjoy their hugs and had never refused one. This was new and out of character for her, and Aang had noticed.  
He looked across at Sokka to see if he had seen it too. He had. They shared a look, and came to a mutual agreement to bring it up later – there were more important things to deal with right now.  
But Aang wouldn’t forget.  
Katara motioned them forward. “Look like you’re my prisoners,” she told them, then morphed back into the guard from earlier.  
Both boys looked at her aghast, but Katara/soldier shook her head. Even through the eyes of someone else, she could still convey what she wanted to say. Yet another attribute Aang admired her for.  
As she led them through the muggy, dank corridors, Katara was constantly on the lookout for other guards, or even worse, Admiral Zhao. She could fool the others, but not him. The fire she had started in the north wing should’ve kept them busy for a while, but she didn’t know the intricacies of firebending and if it included being able to put one out. So she hurried along, trusting her instincts and the pull of the river outside. She just hoped they were enough to get them all outside soon.  
The corridors all looked the same; the blocks of granite all merged into one as they sped along. Katara’s breathing got shallower as the mental strain of keeping up the mirage started to affect her. Her body hadn’t got used to the demand of using her mind for complex manoeuvres, yet another thing she hadn’t thought of. Too late now, she thought as she pushed on, checking the boys were still behind her. They were still there, loyally keeping up. Pride glowed in her chest and she smiled at them, dropping her guard for just one second…  
It turned out to be one second too long.


End file.
